Ready, Set, Go!
by flying metal child
Summary: Kakei's new client wants the local high school's coveted track and field trophy. It cannot be stolen, rather, it must be won. Guess who gets to be the literal running man?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer_: I don't own this.

_AN_: I've had this story working in my head for quite some time but I've never put it to writing. I don't plan to update before I finish "The Pygmalion Effect," so please be patient, read and review, and as always, enjoy! For a full summary of this story, see my profile.

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

by flying metal child

--

Chapter 1

--

Everyone knows the old adage "money is the root of all evil" and its sister phrase "money can't buy happiness."

Anyone stupid enough to believe those words definitely would not belong in Kakei's office at Green Drugstore, for the occupants of the room, Kudo Kazahaya and Himura Rikuo, were in shock at the astronomical amount of money written on a tiny piece of paper sitting on Kakei's desk.

The number was a lure, an incentive, to get them to do one of Kakei's crazy side jobs and it was working pretty damn well.

"Wh-what...oh wow." Kazahaya was knocked senseless by the number. He imagined he could live very well with his part. Rikuo thought the same. Then the catch would be...

"So what kind of seedy job offers this kind of pay?"

Kakei barely cracked a smile at Rikuo's question. "Oh, it's not seedy at all, although it will require you both to be at school again, this time at a public high school." Kazahaya groaned and thought of his last encounter at Suiryo Academy. All boys and no fun. He had learned a lot from the people he met, but the most pressing memory was wearing too many dresses. Alarms went off in his head.

"I won't have to wear a dress will I?" Kakei laughed and Rikuo rolled his eyes.

"Not that I can see." Rikuo crossed his arms and waited for Kakei to finish his explanation. "You see, I've never had you two do a job that has lasted more than a few weeks, but in this case the object we need to retrieve cannot be stolen. It has to be earned in the school's end of the year track meet. School starts in a few weeks so you see the dilemma of time, Rikuo."

Rikuo sighed. He knew there was always a big catch. "So you're saying we have to start school and stay in school for a whole year to earn some...what are we earning again?"

"The trophy!" Kakei beamed out his answer like it was the most obvious answer in the universe.

"Figures it's something stupid like a trophy."

"Ne, Kakei-san," Kazahaya cut in abruptly, suddenly interested in the job. "Who is the client? This is a lot of money! Why do we need a trophy? How do we earn it?" Rikuo snickered at the barrage of questions that poured from Kazahaya's mouth. The boy shot him an evil glare before Kakei started talking again.

"You know I can't name the client, and the job doesn't require any knowledge of the trophy's destination. As to your last question, unfortunately, the burden of getting the prize will fall squarely on you Kudo-kun. We hope to enter you in the track team."

"Wha--I can't run!" At that, Rikuo scoffed.

"Oh please, you run faster than a damn cat. A spirit cat! I played soccer in high school and I can't even run that fast." Rikuo smirked at Kazahaya's annoyed expression. "Sorry Kakei, I'm not taking this job. I barely finished school after--you know--and I don't plan to go back again." Kakei leaned back in his office chair and regarded Rikuo coolly. He had expected an answer like this. Rikuo had had academic problems after Tsukiko disappeared. Who wouldn't fail in their studies a little after they came home to find a blood splattered room and the only family you had left, your sister, missing? Rikuo wanted to take back what he said out of an irrational fear that Kazahaya would ask what the "you know" was about, but Kakei slid out of the uncomfortable atmosphere with his silver tongue.

"Come now, Rikuo. I didn't plan for you to be a student. How would you like to teach a class?"

Kazahaya laughed involuntarily. "Sorry, this guy a teacher?" Kazahaya jerked a thumb in Rikuo's direction. "I hope I don't end up in his class."

"But you would, Kudo!" Rikuo smirked. He _had_ to take this job now.

"Alright, I'm in." Kakei turned to Kazahaya, suddenly expectant for an answer. The boy looked absolutely terrified.

"Do I have to decide now? Can't I think about this! I mean, my grades were always awful...my tutors hated to teach me!" _Tutors?_ Rikuo thought. "I don't understand Kakei. I've never done any sports, and besides, won't it be suspicious if I just show up as a third year with no sports experience?"

"I've already worked out the kinks with the proper persons. All the school will know is that you come from a private school and that you are a steady, but not outstanding, runner. We don't want to present you as some kind of track genius that no one has heard of for some odd reason. The same goes for you Rikuo. You will have all the credentials you will need to teach. I assume you know what subject."

Rikuo huffed his indifference. "Figures that would be the one." Kazahaya twitched on the couch next to Rikuo like a cat.

"Hey! What one, what one? What are you so good at that you can teach high school kids?"

Rikuo grinned.

This was going to be good.

--

Kazahaya was a nervous wreck two days before school started.

Maybe nervous wreck was an understatement. He was completely mortified.

Then again, the prospect of earning his pay pushed him forward reluctantly. The sheer number never left his mind and he was suddenly fearful of his greed, yet it kept him awake at night. The possibilities of it all. He had accepted the job for two reasons. One, the usual, he needed money. And two, no one was that stupid to turn down such an amount.

2.5 million Yen. (Roughly 21,000 US dollars)

TWO MILLION!

And all he had to do was run around in circles...and win a big race...and all the other races leading up to the big race to qualify...while keeping up his grades so he _could_ race...oh and working part-time at the drugstore while balancing homework and after school practice.

Heh.

And being in Rikuo's mystery class.

For a year?

Kazahaya groaned. "Tell me what you're teaching so I can at least be prepared?" Kazahaya looked up from taking inventory at Rikuo, who was obviously not going to answer the question for the millionth time.

"No way."

"Please, Rikuo, you know I'm not good at school stuff." Kazahaya pulled out his trump card, a thing he did unconsciously, but which always seemed to set Rikuo off. Those big, dark green-brown eyes widened like a sad kitten begging for milk. So, so pretty...

"You know," Rikuo started seriously, "if you get any prettier, the girls and boys at school will start fighting over you. As a teacher I can't condone fighting." Rikuo smirked when Kazahaya put down his clipboard and pen and stomped off with a "do it yourself."

Rikuo allowed his eyes to stick to Kazahaya's slim body before it disappeared behind the aisles. He didn't mind doing inventory alone, not tonight at least. His mind was scattered with thoughts and alone he could sort through them. Going back to high school would be like going back in time to a place where memories were made and broken by teenagers who had no idea what the world really was or could be. He thought of Kazahaya, unschooled and naive, but sweet in his innocence. All the bad things he thought about him, how annoying and loud, were supplanted by all the good things Rikuo thought about Kazahaya.

Like how pretty he was, how good natured and sharp like a cat. If he wanted, Kazahaya could slip into your mind like a lover and take all of your soul without even knowing what he was doing. Rikuo found that to be the case. The damn boy was so naive about his beauty. Rikuo entertained a sexual notion of Kazahaya, for he figured if he ever had to be involved with a boy romantically, he would pick Kazahaya over a thousand others. In high school he had dated girls, even slept with a few to prove to no one in particular but himself that he was a man and that he could bed girls simply because he was horny. They were probably horny too. In school he had wondered what it would be like to kiss a boy, but then the idea slipped away because all the boys he liked were either too straight to experiment or were involved in relationships. He wasn't about to get involved in love triangles.

So he used to be a little bisexual in school until Kazahaya came along to set "gay" all his "straightness."

All the flirting he threw at Kazahaya was thrown by the wayside.

But he felt something might change when he was no longer Rikuo.

In a few days, Kazahaya would be calling him something much different.

Himura-_sensei_.

It just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

--

tbc.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! A little note on my research of Japanese schools (sadly, i.e. Wikipedia); the school year starts in April, so the setting is early spring.

Keep guessing what Himura-sensei teaches…

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

Chapter 2

--

Rikuo was jarred awake by his alarm clock. It wasn't something that happened often because he usually awoke before the damn thing rang. He rolled out of bed acting as if he had gotten his eight hours--which he didn't because he had tossed and turned all night anxiously waiting for this morning.

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon at five.

For the first time in almost a year, Rikuo did not wake Kazahaya. The poor boy didn't have class until eight and he needed all the sleep he could get for the possible hell that awaited him. Rikuo showered and dressed for his own student-infested hell.

How the hell was he supposed to teach a class? He wasn't a teacher! What would he do if someone found out he wasn't properly qualified? What if a student asked a question he couldn't answer? And the lesson plan...for a whole year? What if he ran out of things to teach? More questions than answers had plagued Rikuo the few weeks before school began. Saiga, being the doting "mother" he was, had helped considerably with Rikuo's lessons and they managed to line out two weeks worth of material. They obviously had more work to do in the months ahead, yet both agreed to stick it out to make sure the students would have a teacher who could actually teach.

Rikuo nearly asked Saiga (on six different occasions) to teach the class instead since he seemed to be _overly_ qualified. He could sew the students new shirts while cooking them lunch.

Of all the things that could go wrong, Rikuo knew that speaking in front of a class would be the least of his problems. Kazahaya sitting in _his_ class would undoubtedly get him through the day.

He had plans—embarrassing plans—for his little Kaza-chan...

Speaking of Kazahaya, who was probably snoring while dreaming of money, the prospect of earning so much yen outweighed the sheer stupidity of the mission and all the responsibilities and consequences that came with such deception.

Really, how self-involved could you be to want a trophy...some deserving (and legitimate) student would lose their dream this year. All their training gone to waste. And who would win the prize? Kazahaya of course. Kakei wouldn't let them invest so much time into a mission that would fail. He was already losing Kazahaya part-time and Rikuo even less. Kakei mentioned that he would have to hire two new employees to fill the gap they would leave during the day.

Rikuo quickly let go of his concern for Kakei and the business. The man wasn't stupid; let him fix whatever problems came up while his two wonderfully gifted employees were playing school.

Rikuo was jarred from these thoughts when a small sleepy voice called his name. Light footsteps, so like a cat, came into the kitchen. Rikuo looked up from his breakfast to see Kazahaya stumble to the table.

"Did I wake you?" Rikuo asked.

Kazahaya answered, "No." Rikuo stuffed some eggs in his mouth and mumbled, "Go back to bed." He could already hear the huffy response before Kazahaya even opened his mouth.

"Fine, maybe I just wanted to say good morning." Rikuo swallowed what was left of his food and put his dish away.

"Good morning," Rikuo mocked lightly, then added, "And don't roll your eyes like that when you get to school…it's very rude."

Kazahaya fumed. "Well, I'm going to sleep in your stupid class! How's that for rude?"

"Then I guess I'll have to put you in the front." A small smirked twitched at the corner of Rikuo's mouth. He couldn't help it; it was a natural response to the pout on Kazahaya's face Oh, he had made Kazahaya plenty mad this morning. Rikuo knew that this kind of angry morning banter was much more satisfying that waking Kazahaya, but he had always given in and thrown a shoe or stepped on him.

It was stupid and he didn't know why he decided that moment would be a good time to do it—maybe it was the lack of air to his brain from lack of sleep or just the fact that Kazahaya was sleepy and flushed pink, deliciously warm from sleep—but Rikuo gave Kazahaya the tiniest peck on the cheek, a kiss so chaste and light that it could have been the flick of a feather.

"Go back to sleep," Rikuo said again. Kazahaya wiped his cheek with the back of his hand.

He looked like a little child that was ready for a nap.

"Don't make fun of me," he said drowsily.

"I'm not making fun of you," Rikuo said as he turned away. Neither of them said goodbye or good luck for whatever trails they would face that day. When the door shut behind Rikuo, Kazahaya drug himself back to bed. He laid his head on the palm of his hand, cupping the warm cheek that Rikuo had kissed; the feathery kiss had tickled terribly. Indignant but intrigued, he rubbed the spot again. His first kiss. Only his family had ever kissed him. He thought of Kei and her touch. This touch was new. It put a feeling into him that was much different than familial affection—surprise and giddiness, not because Rikuo had done it, not because he had taken the moment for granted, but because it had been his first kiss.

_Oh_ how he lied to himself. Kazahaya was so very aware that _Rikuo_ had done it.

Determined not to let the gesture make him squirm, Kazahaya tried to sleep, but when the minutes rolled by and were wasted in deep thought, he knew that he had lost.

Rikuo had embarrassed him once this day and he would definitely do so again.

--

tbc.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: In this (much longer) chapter I finally reveal Rikuo's subject. Many of you have guessed, and a few have guessed correctly. If I sent you a message saying your guess was wrong and you were right, well, I'm sorry I lied...heh (not really). I don't think it was too hard to guess, given what was said last chapter. And finally, I appreciate everyone's support! Such lovely reviews, so please keep it up!

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

Chapter 3

--

The morning was clear and cool despite the previous evening's weather report. Kakei, despite his clairvoyance, had expected some rain when he opened the store. It was very pleasant out anyway and he took in a deep breath when he unlocked the front door. Already waiting for instruction, two new employees looked at their employer with confusion as a tall man (very dark and handsome) came into the store, took a heavy drag of his cigarette, and planted a rather obscene kiss on their boss' lips.

Kakei laughed and shooed Saiga away. Saiga gave a hearty handshake to both the employees before disappearing into the back office.

"Ah, that is Saiga...just ignore him. Let's get to work then shall we?" Just as the three were beginning to work, Kazahaya came into the store to say goodbye to Kakei and Saiga.

"Saiga is in the back, probably napping. I'll tell him you said good morning, Kudo-kun."

Kazahaya smiled. "Thank you Kakei-san."

"I do hope you have fun. It shouldn't be any different than Suiryo, except for the girls." Kakei suddenly looked very menacing as he leaned forward saying in a low voice, "You look very handsome today in your uniform. I would watch your back if I were you."

"Eh?" A classic Kudo moment. The poor boy actually turned around.

"You're very funny, Kudo. Now, you better run along or you'll be late." Kazahaya nodded and gave a little bow. He was almost out the door before he turned and asked quickly, "What is Rikuo teaching?"

Kakei shrugged his shoulders. Kazahaya rolled his eyes and left.

"Heh. The boy's going to have one hell of a day." Saiga chuckled and gave a firm smack to Kakei's rear. He walked away very quickly after the venomous look that had been put in his direction. Of course the staff had seen the "transgression," and for the rest of the day, Kakei had to stave his worker's appetite for knowledge. The male employee named Watanabe asked, "Who is that man...and if he can smoke in the store, why can't I?"

The female employee, Suzuki, inquired once after she caught Saiga feeling-up Kakei in the back, "Is he your lover?" And then more boldly, "Does he have a brother?"

Kakei wished they would stop asking useless questions. It was all Saiga's fault. He tended to get rowdy in front of new employees. In the end, he guessed it didn't really matter what questions they asked so long as they worked hard. And work hard they did, maybe even more than Rikuo and Kazahaya.

Kakei made a mental note to be _more_ of a slave driver when the boys returned.

And maybe put some kind of dog leash on Saiga...

--

_So, here I am. Tokyo High. It sure is big..._

Kazahaya followed the gaggle of students to the auditorium where the student orientation was being held. As much as Rikuo drilled him on the campus map, he knew he would get lost. He was horrible with directions! His nervousness had made every memorization melt as soon as he set foot on the campus.

_Why am I so nervous? I wasn't this nervous at Suiryo._ Kazahaya kept to himself as he sat among the students, his fellow classmates. He wasn't aware, but he was wringing his hands.

"Are you having an anxiety attack?" Kazahaya turned his head at a girl's voice.

"Excuse me?" he asked not-so-politely. The girl was taken aback and tried to amend the situation. After all, it wasn't everyday a girl got to sit next to someone as pretty as this boy!

"I'm sorry, it's just that my mother does her hands like that when she's nervous. She has panic attacks. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Kazahaya raised his hands up to say, "No, no I'm not having a panic attack!"

"Are you nervous?" He nodded yes. She grinned and said, "Me too. I just moved here so I don't know anyone. My former school was much smaller than this. It's a little overwhelming."

"Oh. Well, I don't know anyone either. I...uh, kinda just moved here too."

"Kinda?"

"It's a long story."

She nodded and took the hint that he didn't want to talk about it. "My name is Yamada Ai."

"I'm Kudo Kazahaya."

Yamada smiled and showed off a perfect set of white teeth. "It's very nice to meet you, Kudo-kun." All introductions aside, the two ended their conversation when orientation began. It was a very boring affair with the principal introducing the staff. Rikuo was conveniently absent.

_Probably goofing off in the teacher's lounge_, Kazahaya thought with a scowl.

"...and I have to say, once again, that this year will be the best year this school has ever seen. Be sure to sign up for the many extracurricular activities and clubs, if you haven't done so." The principal, a very stout, balding man, ended orientation with, "Now get to your classes." His voice was stern and commanding and something about him itched Kazahaya. He didn't like the way his gaze picked him out of the crowd. Shaking it off as coincidence, Kazahaya left with the other students and made it to his classroom.

A familiar voice hit him before he had a chance to take in the room.

"Kudo-kun!" Yamada called him over from the very back row. He sat next to her and was suddenly so grateful for her earlier meddling. Now he had someone to talk to. He figured he would have made a friend eventually, just like at Suiryo. Nayuki and the others had been good friends--but they were all boys. This was a girl! The only girl he had ever really talked to was Kei.

And this girl, boy was she pretty. She had long dark hair and dark eyes to compliment her fair skin and graceful bearing. Plus...she had some decently sized breasts! She smiled a lot and her voice was pleasant like a tinkling bell. Kazahaya counted himself lucky to be sitting next to her.

"I'm so happy we're in the same class!" she exclaimed. She seemed to be excited about everything she said. "Maybe we'll be in some of the same clubs too! Oh, I know! Let's go to the club fair after school to join, okay?"

Kazahaya frowned confusion. "Do we have to join clubs?"

Yamada put a pretty finger to her lips and thought. "Well, I guess you don't have to, but most people do because it's fun." Kazahaya watched Yamada's train of thought wander. "Maybe I'll see if there are any sports I could play." Yamada then grinned and said, as if it were a stupid wish, "Not like they'd let a girl who's never played a sport in her life join!"

Oh. It hit Kazahaya. He had to join the track and field team today. He had forgotten the whole reason he was here in the first place! Stupid! And no one had said anything about joining clubs either! What if Yamada, nice as her intentions were, made him join a thousand clubs with her? He would have no time for himself!

"Kudo-kun? Are you alright? You were groaning." Yamada waved a hand in front of Kazahaya's face. He came back to attention a little redder and played off his embarrassment (for groaning) as nothing more than being a little warm. It was mild out today, not enough to make the blue blazer he wore uncomfortable. Yamada grinned and said it was a little stuffy in the room. He was sure she was only humoring him.

Their friendly conversation was suddenly interrupted by a murmur throughout the classroom. Kazahaya looked to the source of the commotion and saw a boy in a wheelchair take his place at the front of the room. Most of the students had gathered around him and were either shaking his hand (as was the case with the male students) or smiling and starting animated discussions about one thing or another—of course, this was the case with the female students because the boy was very handsome. He seemed to be very friendly with everyone and as neither Kazahaya nor Yamada knew him, they figured they should introduce themselves before class started.

"My name is Yamada Ai! It's nice to meet you!" The boy smiled nervously when Yamada grabbed his hands and began shaking them vigorously.

"Eh…I'm Sato Hideki. Nice to meet you too." Sato turned to Kazahaya and introduced himself. "I've never seen you two before. You must be new."

"We both recently moved," Kazahaya said just as the first class began. Sato nodded and said he hoped both would enjoy the school. They all separated and went to their seats. A female teacher entered the room and began checking student attendance. She was also the English teacher, a subject Kazahaya _hated_ with a passion. His tutors at home always yelled at him for his lack of attention when asked to conjugate so-and-so verb. He barely remembered anything from those lessons because they were the ones he skipped most often.

Kazahaya sighed heavily when the class was over. He glanced at his notes. Dreadful. Yamada giggled when she compared her carefully organized notes to his.

"Kudo-kun, we will definitely have to work on your note taking skills."

The English teacher left the room and in came the next teacher. Kazahaya fidgeted through the math and social studies classes. He doodled in the margins of his papers. It felt like Suiryo all over again, but this time the stress was heavier. He knew he would be here for a year, not a few weeks. He _would_ have to study and pay attention, yet saying it and doing it were two different things. Perhaps Yamada would do more than help him organized his notes.

He needed a tutor.

By the time lunch came, Kazahaya had become so nervous that he couldn't even eat. He gave all his food to Yamada. For a girl (he imagined) she had a healthy appetite. As Yamada ate his bento, Kazahaya began thinking of Rikuo. The school day was nearly half done and he hadn't appeared to teach the mystery class. The only subjects Kazahaya could see Rikuo teaching were history and music. He dared himself to ask, "Why music? That's just stupid." He answered with, "Yeah, it's stupid but he's the kind of guy who might play the violin or piano."

History was the next class, taught by a middle-aged man who looked "crooked."

There was no music class.

A few minutes into the science laboratory class, Kazahaya was completely out of guesses. He relaxed knowing that only one class was left and that it was definitely Rikuo's. He wondered if Rikuo was as nervous as he was…

"I'm so excited!"

Kazahaya was jarred by Yamada's exclamation. She and a few other girls had gathered around to chat between classes.

"W-what?" Yamada and the other girls grinned at him. The puzzled look on his face was cute. They suddenly giggled and scattered to their seats when the next teacher entered the room. The thing Kazahaya had dreaded all day was now upon him. Rikuo, the soon to be teacher from Hell, was at the front of the class. He had gained, in the span of ten seconds, a legion of female fans who had swooned as soon as he stepped in the room. They were already writing love notes and making mental lists of which girls were the biggest threat to their undying love.

His name was Himura Rikuo, the sexiest Home-economics teacher any girl could wish for. Even Yamada was sighing at the sight of Rikuo. Kazahaya could literally see the glitter and sparkles surrounding Rikuo. He threw in a heart shaped frame with fat little cherubs to add to the effect. And some romantic music…okay, so maybe the girls had good taste. Kazahaya had already admitted to himself that Rikuo looked good, but that was no reason to lose control of your senses! Yes, he looked incredibly good wearing a simple button up white shirt and dark slacks…but seriously, stop gawking!

"You, what is your name?" Yamada had to poke Kazahaya before he realized that Rikuo was addressing him.

Kazahaya frowned and answered in a little voice, "Kudo Kazahaya."

Rikuo smirked. This was going to be fun. "Kudo, I want you to move to the front of the room." Kazahaya started up, then hesitated. Rikuo narrowed his eyes in irritation. The looks were passed quickly and intimately; Kazahaya knew it was useless to fight. Angry at being singled out so quickly, but still compliant to the command, Kazahaya moved from his beloved spot next to Yamada and switched seats with a girl in the front. He was now directly in front of the teacher's desk. Everyone in the classroom expected to be moved as well, but when Rikuo moved by Kazahaya and took his place at the front of the room, expectation turned to confusion.

Why had Himura-sensei only moved Kazahaya?

_If they only knew…_

_-- _

tbc.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Huge delay! Sorry :s

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

Chapter 4

--

He was a cookie-baking God.

Or at least his students would think so tomorrow when their first lesson was, easily guessed, baking 101.

Rikuo could bet that Kazahaya would burn his first batch.

But today, unfortunately, the class was dismissed early so that the students could attend the club activities where many would sign away their afternoons to mundane activities like sewing or cooking, as the case may be. Rikuo resigned himself to at least one cooking club activity a month.

Kazahaya would be much luckier. He just had to run. Run as fast as his long, lithe legs could go.

With not so much as a smirk, Rikuo let his favorite student leave the classroom. Kazahaya threw him a dirty look before slipping out of the room with the other students. Surely he thought Rikuo would keep him after class for further taunting. But he hadn't and Kazahaya made his way to the track field where varsity runners and fresh meat were all chatting about the quality of the track itself and what kind of shoes and uniforms they would be wearing this season.

"You know, I think this is going to be one of the hottest summers on record. What a pain."

Kazahaya whipped around at the voice directed at him. Sato Hideki grinned and rolled his wheelchair to a stop next to Kazahaya. He looked at the group of runners and sighed. They had already noticed him and some were making their way to him. He got in a measly sentence, "Here we go," before they swamped him with handshakes and friendly banter. Kazahaya listened to their conversation in silence for a few minutes before he finally understood why Sato was so popular.

First, his father was the principal and the head of the board of education for the district.

And second, he used to be the top runner in his class.

"That was all before the accident," a teammate said to Kazahaya later. The runners had all met with the coach who gave them a pep talk before sending them for a few laps. As they changed in the locker room, Kazahaya overheard some of the boys talking about the accident Sato was in only months earlier. They whispered how his father had been drunk while taking him home after a meet. The rain had been so hard and it was very, very dark...why hadn't his father let him drive?

"I hear Sato-sensei is abusive to his family." He had overheard that when Sato left the track.

Abusive? It put a sour feeling into Kazahaya's stomach as he ran practice laps with the other boys. The sun was setting when they finished, though it only seemed like they had just started. How could that be? His legs burned terribly like he'd ran for hours, yet that heat made him feel more alive and energetic despite the awkward position he was in—bent over with his hands on his knees, lungs gasping for air, queasy and light-headed; he knew this was going to be quite an experience.

"You look like you're having fun, Kudo-kun!" Kazahaya peered at Yamada Ai from between his sweat soaked bangs. He inhaled a gulp of air and walked with her to the bleachers nearby. They sat and she waited until he caught his breath before striking up a conversation.

Kazahaya swore some of the other runners gave him dirty looks…other gazes were directed at Yamada.

"I don't think I could run like that," she said cheerily. "I only signed up for the cooking club."

"Oh. Where you watching?"

She nodded, exclaiming, "I sure did!" Kazahaya chuckled self-consciously. He hadn't considered how he would feel with an audience watching him run and he certainly hadn't thought how Rikuo would judge his every move; undoubtedly the bastard would come to every meet.

"Did you try for a sports club?" he asked to divert his mind from the unpleasant thought.

Yamada laughed loudly and punched Kazahaya's shoulder. He grimaced (not that it really hurt) and listened as she explained her rather pitiful attempt to join both the volleyball and tennis teams. Apparently they could tell she was not physically inclined just by looking at her! She took the news lightly and with a grin and made her way to the cooking club. There she met, of course, Himura-sensei and the president of the cooking club, whose name she could not remember because she was too enthralled with her teacher's good looks. She wasn't the only one. Rikuo's fangirls could wrap around the earth end to end several times over.

Kazahaya tolerated her rant because it was so naive. If only she knew how much of an ass Rikuo was then she definitely would not be praising him so liberally. The starry look in her eyes frightened him.

"Well, I better get going. I have an after-school job so—"

"AH! Where do you work?"

Green drugstore, he replied; although she had never heard of it, he promised he would show her one day.

--

Back home, Kakei put Kazahaya straight to work until the store closed. He hadn't seen Rikuo since the end of class, but since it was his night to cook, he would at least be welcomed by a hot meal. Kakei dismissed him for the night and added with a grin, "By the way, I've relieved Rikuo of all his duties at the store for a while. I don't want anyone connecting you two outside of the school."

"But what if someone finds out that we live together?"

"Oh, they won't. Now go to bed. You have a long day tomorrow."

Kazahaya sometimes wondered if he put too much faith in Kakei's clairvoyance.

Rikuo greeted him with a very offhanded hello when he entered the kitchen. The food had just been cooked and they ate in silence until Kazahaya slammed down his empty bowl.

"Okay! What are you planning, Rikuo?"

Rikuo looked particularly annoyed by the interruption and he snorted a half-reply, saying he wasn't planning anything and, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Home economics? I know Saiga-san was helping you with something, but...but _that_?!"

"Don't be so self-involved, idiot." Rikuo threw down his evening paper and began cleaning up their dishes. "The only reason I'm doing that class is because Saiga can help and it's the easiest thing I can do. I'm not a real teacher. What did you expect? Math? Science?" Kazahaya shrugged in defeat. Rikuo was right. Maybe he had expected more from Rikuo, who always held himself like he was intellectually superior; he probably was, Kazahaya admitted, because _he_ had never finished school and knew already that he would fall behind in his class work.

Kazahaya was shaken by his thoughts by a loud yawn and a sudden tiredness in his body. He hadn't run so much in a long time and it had put his body in shock.

"Well," he said softly, "thanks for dinner. Guess I'll go to bed." Rikuo looked over his shoulder from the sink but didn't say anything. He finished the dishes (and his paper) before going to bed. Almost an hour had gone by. Kazahaya was definitely asleep, so Rikuo had no hesitation in peeking at his roommate while he dreamed. He looked so cute and harmless, like a little child, and for a moment, Rikuo considered not being mean to him during class. He didn't know why he wanted to torture him like that.

No, he knew why. It was the angry reaction that made Rikuo excited, that cat like growl and expression on his face that made him so primal…

Really, Kazahaya deserved _everything_ that was coming to him.

--

tbc.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I agree with my reviewers. It is _really_ hard to continue a story after leaving it for months. Hopefully this chapter is more in line...beats it with a whip! I'm glad I got this out before Thanksgiving! Consider it my turkey gift to you…or cranberry sauce. Whichever floats your gravy boat!

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

chapter 5

--

_Ha ha! You can't catch me, Deki-chan!_

The voice of his older sister echoed in his mind every time he ran. Sato Hideki remembered her in the backyard, her feet so graceful that the tips of the grass seemed to support her like a feather. Her taunts were light and playful, but he was impudent and easily angered. She was only fifteen, her manners innocent and often impetuous. When she had taken his favorite baseball, he had chased her around the yard like a wild dog.

Finally she turned with a severe expression as if she realized how old she was and how silly their game had been.

All he could say was, "Don't call me Deki-chan."

And she smiled prettily as her long hair was caught up in a gentle breeze.

"Sato's in la-la land again. Hey, Deki-chan, wake up!" Sato turned from the window to see his friends poking him with a pencil He rolled his eyes and got out his English text book. Daydreaming wasn't a habit of his, but when he did it, he did it well. Class was about to start so the students were getting in that vital last bit of gossip and idle chatter. Someone's voice caught his ear. Pretty and light...so much like his sister's had been. Her laughter made him turn quickly. Ah, Yamada Ai. But she was talking to Kudo Kazahaya, who was much more attractive than Sato ever hoped to be.

Sato looked at his legs and frowned. His body felt like it had been split in half, so disjointed and irregular. Feelings of suicide had come and gone, feelings of guilt and utter remorse. Hate had been there as well, but it had faded to be replaced by acceptance. Still, it was hard not to miss what he had once been physically.

At least he could enjoy being alive...

--

"I said...one cup! Not two! Kudo start over!"

"But you said two!"

"I _said_ one."

And then Kazahaya said the thing that permanently solidified his status as the kid who couldn't control his temper.

"You...you're a _HORRIBLE_ teacher!"

A collective gasp echoed in the cooking lab.

Someone dropped a glass measuring cup.

"Kudo-kun..." Someone whispered.

Himura-sensei, or as Kazahaya knew him, "asshole," smirked at his student's lack of propriety in the classroom. The students who had already prepared their batch of cookie dough held their tongues. Something was amiss between their teacher and the prettiest boy in the whole school. They had all clearly heard Himura-sensei call for two cups of flour and as he appraised their work quietly, student to student, each beamed in pride that their teacher actually approved of their food.

It wasn't that they cared that they could make a good batch of cookies, but it just so happened that the previous home economics teacher hated _everything_ they cooked.

To call Himura-sensei on his obvious mistake would single them out like poor Kudo-kun. Forced to start over under sensei's brooding presence, Kazahaya used one cup of flour instead of two. His cookies came out flat and stiff while the other students presented their perfect cookies to Rikuo.

Yamada Ai blushed when he praised hers the best above all the others. When the last bell signaled their release, Rikuo ordered Kazahaya to sweep and clean all the dishes as punishment for his obstinate behavior. When everyone was gone, Kazahaya started to say his piece as he grabbed a broom but was interrupted when Yamada came back into the class and bowed lowly.

She said shakily without making eye-contact, "Himura-sensei..."

"Yeah?"

"Um...I-I..." She looked up finally and met Rikuo's dark green-hazel eyes. Swallowing and forcing out the sentence, "IheardyoutellKudokuntoputtwocups!" She bowed again and looked to Kazahaya for reassurance that what she had done was the right thing (even thought she was scared witless).

"What?" Rikuo asked confused. Kazahaya sucked in a breath and nodded at Yamada behind Rikuo's back. She smiled slightly and turned more boldly to her teacher.

"I heard you...you _did_ tell him, and all of us, to put in two cups of flour, Himura-sensei. I-I don't think that it's right that you...lied!" Rikuo was incredibly surprised, so much so that he whipped around and gave Kazahaya a peculiar glare that was neither angry nor apologetic; the other boy withered under the stare as he held his broom. The crumbs and splashes of milk and water on the floor made good distractions from that strange look.

Yamada did not wait for a response and she was quickly gone with another bow.

Kazahaya thought that he would definitely get it from Rikuo, but all he got was an amused smirk.

"You're making a lot of friends." He tugged the broom from Kazahaya's hands and nodded towards the door.

"Get out of here. You'll be late for practice." Kazahaya opened his mouth to say something, but it was lost before his tongue could even move.

--

What were Rikuo's motives in playing such juvenile games?

The answers were coming slowly as the weeks passed. After the incident with the cookies, Kazahaya was forced to clean the cooking lab almost every other day for no reason. Sometimes they would cook something especially messy, in which Kazahaya found himself on the floor scrubbing dried spaghetti sauce--Rikuo, of course, could be found watching smugly with his feet propped on the desk.

Kazahaya scowled and scrubbed harder when he saw that Rikuo's eyes were on him. What did he think he was, a slave? Students were supposed to help clean, but not to this extent, so said Yamada. Her face from the bleachers was becoming a constant while running his laps; it was a usual sight to see her skipping towards him after he finished, yet today her gait was slow and she seemed almost melancholy. He wanted to ask why she looked so sad, but she instantly averted his questions by bringing up Himura-sensei...of course.

"I think sensei likes you." She smiled at him sadly after saying it, as if it were a tragedy.

Kazahaya scoffed at that as they walked back to the school. He had to grab his stuff from the locker room.

"Yeah, right. If he likes me he wouldn't be so mean!"

"No, that's not what I mean, Kaza-chan." She grinned broadly at her new name for him. "He picks on you more than everyone and he makes you stay after class."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Yamada smiled sadly again. "It's his way of getting your attention. I liked to think that he complimented my food because he liked me, but he only says it quickly like he _has_ to say it, you know? Ha! What did I just say? I think I admitted that I like Himura-sensei!"

Kazahaya laughed nervously as they entered the school, "I think we all know you like him, Ai."

In truth, it was a well known fact that Yamada Ai had a crush on Himura-sensei...along with every single girl in the whole school, but because Kazahaya was friends with her, he felt her nervousness and sadness more strongly, for he knew her feelings would not be returned.

Or would they?

What if Yamada confessed her love to the bastard and he reciprocated? What if they joined forces and tried to destroy him?!

Kazahaya turned to his friend before entering the locker room. Here they would part, but he wanted to leave one last piece of (melodramatic) advice to his naive friend. Catching her by the shoulders, he said, "Don't let him pull you into his twisted mind! Fight him! And for goodness sake, don't fall in love with him...please?"

"Ah, but he's so nice and handsome...stop shaking me, Kaza."

"Sorry." He released his emotional death-grip. "But, he's such an asshole!"

"Who's an asshole?" The men's locker room door swung open and Yamada's beloved sensei stepped out. She could only muster a hello before running away without saying good-bye to her friend. Kazahaya groaned and faced his nightmare.

"What were you doing in there?"

"Waiting for you. What took you so long?"

"None of your business..._asshole_."

"Whatever. Here." Rikuo handed Kazahaya a note from Kakei.

"An offer for a side job. Gah, I'm so tired. I'm not taking it." Kazahaya thrust the note back into Rikuo's hands. He pushed him aside and entered the locker room.

"That's the first job you've turned down," Rikuo said as he followed. "I thought you needed the money."

"I do, but this is too much. I have to work today, too. That means I'd have to work and then do my homework then do a job? I'll never get any sleep. I already feel overloaded with the homework. I dread it more than anything." Rikuo threw his arm around Kazahaya's shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze. Kazahaya didn't say anything; rather, the warmth and the strong body to lean against felt nice.

"It'll be alright. Besides, now you know how I felt when I went to school."

Kazahaya grinned evilly. "So...just what kind of high school student were you, Himura-sensei?"

--

tbc.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Oh, I really apologize for the lateness. I've been busy. Not much happens in this chapter, it's more of a transition, but the story picks up after this.

--

"Ready, Set, Go!"

Chapter 6

--

_So...just what kind of high school student were you, Himura-sensei?_

The question was simple, but the answers long and complex. Rikuo had not considered the repercussions of answering Kazahaya's curiosity, but as he began talking he found it hard to quiet his tongue--there was something cathartic about giving his past away so freely when before it would have felt like a betrayal of his own memories of Tsukiko.

For Rikuo, every memory was laced with her voice and her face.

But what he could say, while omitting her place in his past, were small things, like how he played soccer for a while, how his grades were fairly good, then came the list of girlfriends. Rikuo liked how Kazahaya's nose scrunched up in disgust when he said they had all been really good kissers.

"That's gross," he said, actually.

"Why is it gross?" Rikuo was cooking dinner while Kazahaya did his homework at the table.

The other boy shrugged and buried his nose in a math formula. "Cause it is."

"You're only saying that because you've never been kissed."

Huffing dramatically, Kazahaya spat, "And what makes you think I've never been kissed?!"

"I can just tell. You are what they call a 'super virgin.'" Rikuo snickered as Kazahaya tried to think of a retort to the obvious. He was a virgin...maybe a super virgin (whatever that was, he thought).

"Well, I don't see what's so bad about it."

"…"

Kazahaya continued when he saw that Rikuo was paying attention without mocking him. "So what if you kissed all those girls? You were probably just using them to prove how macho you are." Kazahaya slammed his math textbook closed.

"I wasn't using them," Rikuo sneered.

"Yeah right." Kazahaya poked lazily at his food. "I'm not hungry."

"You're angry," Rikuo commented with a grin.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kazahaya thought for a moment before continuing. "My friend likes you a lot," he began, "but I told her you were an ass and to stay away from you. I was right." Kazahaya glared at Rikuo with an animal's intensity.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to mess around with your little friend."

"Good." Kazahaya picked up his fork, obviously hungry, and began eating.

Rikuo laughed at what he thought was the obvious cause of Kazahaya's defensiveness. "Wait a minute. Do _you_ like Ai?"

"I—I do _not_!"

"Yes you do. You have a crush on her."

Kazahaya crossed his arms angrily. "So what if I do?"

"Are you going to ask her out?"

Kazahaya's arms went lax in surprise, "I dunno."

Rikuo shrugged his indifference, but inside he was seething. He had not considered Kazahaya actually liking someone, especially that air-headed Yamada Ai. She was certainly very pretty and she could cook fairly well, but whenever Rikuo had encountered her, be it in the halls or after class (he was still irked that she called him on his lie) she seemed so blindly engrossed by him that he could hardly stand to talk to her.

In fact, there was very little talking to be had since she could barely utter a coherent sentence. Her vocabulary consisted of blushes, shy looks, and "Um..um…"

"What about you then?" Rikuo asked to change the subject back to that of schooling. "What's the deal with your tutors? You were home schooled?"

"Yeah. Me and my sister."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

Kazahaya nodded and added happily, "We're twins!"

"Twins. That's…weird."

"Nuh-uh. We are not weird."

"_You _are weird."

"Am not!!!" Rikuo decided not to draw out their "conversation" any further and opted to put away his cleaned dish.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said off-handedly, more or less as a distraction, for he chose that moment to lean down and peck the top of Kazahaya's head like a mother kissing her child goodnight. The casual kiss earned Rikuo a surprisingly silent reaction, though the incensed expression on Kazahaya's face was well worth the effort.

--

The next few weeks were especially stressful for both Rikuo and Kazahaya. Rikuo had to start the sewing portion of his lessons, something he had dreaded more than cooking, and Kazahaya was readying himself for the track team's first meet. His nervousness over the first race overcame his awkwardness in being in Rikuo's new sewing class. Kazahaya remembered his mother sewing, and it didn't seem like a skill he could easily master, but he picked up the needle fairly well, enough to stave off Rikuo's harsh remarks.

Kazahaya remained quiet during class, only occasionally talking to his friend Ai, but there was never eye contact between them and Rikuo knew why; Kazahaya was trying to protect Ai…and himself. His cat-like eyes were trained on any improper looks coming from his sensei; at the same time, Kazahaya berated himself for being so paranoid.

Rikuo had never shown any interest in his friend, quite the opposite. Burning stares, given at random, were mixed with efforts to literally piss off Kazahaya. The boy was very, very puzzled. Kissing his cheek or his hand (that incident had been particularly embarrassing because he did it in front of Kakei) seemed to be Rikuo's preferred method of psychological torture. Kazahaya didn't mind the kisses so much when he knew they were teasing (seriously, he _hated_ it), but one day, after a long session of learning how to hem pants and skirts, Rikuo made him stay after class with the pretense of arranging the threads by color.

The order was, of course, followed by a quick peck on the head after everyone left the room.

"This is stupid," Kazahaya remarked as he began sorting the blue threads. Rikuo "hmph'ed" in response and simply watched him with a focus reserved for cats hunting mice.

"You don't have practice or work today. Just think of this as 'us' time."

"I don't see what's so great about 'us' time," Kazahaya huffed. "I want to go home."

Rikuo sighed and looked at the time. Well, that lasted exactly fiveminutes. "Fine. But you cook tonight."

"Fine!" Kazahaya spat in response. He tossed all the thread back into the sewing box and replaced it in the supply closet. "I swear I'll kill you if you ask me to do that tomorrow," Kazahaya remarked as they walked down the surprisingly empty hall.

Surely, _surely_, no one saw said sensei give his pupil an innocent kiss on the cheek as "punishment" for being so noisy.

But…

Yamada Ai gasped and hid behind the stairwell until her friend and her teacher disappeared from the hall.

She wanted Himura-sensei alone in the classroom.

Oh, how she wanted to tell him that _she_ loved him…an embrace…a single kiss…

She cried that night, not just because her love loved someone else, but because her best friend was the object of his affection.

--

tbc


End file.
